( August 18, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The jumbo cabinet that suits the political needs of Mahinda Rajapakse’s family rule is proving to be a fiasco and the Justice Minister Rahuf Hakeem is a typical highlight of the powerless ministerial portfolios held by the gutless ministers for strange reasons.

President and Rauf Hakeem

Desperate Muslim Ministers including Minister of Justice Rahuf Hakeem made a frantic plea few days ago appealing to the ‘President to advise the legal authorities to enforce the law against those have acted against the national unity’ over the anti-Muslim violence in the Grandpass.

Here comes the question of what is the delegated responsibility of a Justice Minister? Isn’t it managing the judiciary to perform according to the law through the judicial departments of the state?

The very disparaging act of serving the carte blanch to the Chief Justice Shiranee Bandaranayake took place under Rauf Hakeem as Justice Minister whom to this date has not condemned or condoned the actions of the President, except for going with the winds to safeguard some meager benefits deriving from holding his ministerial position.

The lukewarm approach of the Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem staying in the government and speaking for the justice of the Muslims when injustices are done so blatantly is condemnable and is a façade and makes the whole Muslim community vulnerable to the highhanded state oppression. This besides his responsibility to be the guardian of justice for other vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka.

The contradictory Minister is more on the run to Arabic states to seek justice for his people than discharging his duties efficiently for the deliverance of justice, foremost at the moment is to his own Muslim community. Ducking and diving without firing the shots at the right time only certifies the poodle politics of Rauf Hakeem.

Rauf Hakeem remains disgraced by the very state machinery he represents as the Justice Minister. But his proverbial mindset will know to dance to the puppet songs without the true leadership that is wanted at this time of need.

The very Rauf Hakeem was the witness to the imperious conduct of the state when brute force was used against Rt.Gen Sarath Fonseka to arrest him soon after the last Presidential election. The gutless Justice Minister did not put his name forward as a witness to the dastardly act and continued with his ingenious politics to suit his own needs.

What is very clear with Rauf is, he is a minister who is indisposed of powers needed for the Minister and is struggling to untie his twisted knots for some unknown reasons.

The questions comes whether President is holding the triumph card to give a hammer blow to Rauf Hakeem if he ever attempt to show his fingers to the government. Or it could be that, the President must be supported by an able psychiatric consultant who advised the President of the mindset of Rauf Hakeem and all the others associated in the Presidents governance to give the twist with right doses when issues arise.

Mere procrastination by being with the government will only make the resolve of the extremist regime of Mahinda Rajapakse to continue with the authoritarian family rule for some time to come whist the right wing extremism grows to a monstrous scale due to failures of leaders like Rauf Hakeem.